Heroes come back! a Naruto Next Generation story
by melinaryuu
Summary: The new generation is at hand. The Uchiha clan is slowly being revived in Otokagure while the village and Konoha become allies. Sound and Leaf, under the rule of Sasuke Uchiha and Naruto Uzumaki, were finally working together. Now, it is Sasuke's turn to
1. Chapter 1: The Chuunin Exams, Brother vs

And there they were

_Sacrifice...so many lost lives for peace in the new world. Friends, enemies, family, loved ones; as easily as they came into this world, they left it. But for all of those deaths and loss, a bond can be established between those who continue living. Those who have passed on knew that the lives they left behind would be picked up by those who remained walking on this Earth._

The Akatsuki, the Dawn, wanted this new world to be under their rule. Pein, believing he to be a god, stood above all with his power. He believed causing pain into this world would teach everyone a lesson. He murdered one of the legendary sannin, Jiraiya, as a testament to his unstoppable power. Not long after that, Sasuke Uchiha succeeded in his revenge against Itachi Uchiha.

But, the battle left Sasuke badly wounded, allowing Madara Uchiha to swoop in and try to take him for his power. Naruto Uzumaki, however, would not allow this to happen to his 'brother'. Furious, Naruto stormed towards where Madara was keeping Sasuke. Pein and Konan quickly were dispersed to stop him for getting Sasuke back. The battle was long and grueling, but the two head leaders of the Akatsuki were finally defeated and destroyed. Pein was showed he is, indeed, only human.

Naruto finally reached his destination; Sasuke and Madara Uchiha. Madara Uchiha knew how to control the 9 Tailed Fox sealed within Naruto, which made it incredibly dangerous for Naruto to be even near him. Naruto, being blinded by his own determination, charged at Madara, trying to run straight for Sasuke. As Madara was preparing to take control of the Kyuubi, Sasuke stepped in and made sure that did not happen.

Together, Naruto and Sasuke defeated Madara Uchiha. The Akatsuki was now defeated and gone. Sasuke, with his revenge now complete, decided to return back to a normal life. However, he did not want to return to Konoha like Naruto planned. Instead, he wanted to return to Otokagure to rebuild the village under his own rule. After much convincing, Naruto finally accepted this and allowed Sasuke to go.

15 years went by and during that time many things had changed. Sasuke now had a family with children. Sasuke's plan to recreate his clan was succeeding. Otokagure and Konoha now had an alliance, just like Konoha and the Sand Village. Naruto, the 6th Hokage, made sure of that. The building of the two nations was at its birth.

Another 15 years went by; leading up to 30 years since the defeat of the Akatsuki. Sasuke's children were now having children of their own. Most of them were at genin level now. The genin and other levels of ninja could travel back and forth between the 2 countries. The genin of Otokagure could come to the Chuunin exams in the Leaf Village as well...

Naruto suddenly stopped reading the opened scroll in front of him. He closed his eyes, leaning back in his chair. The sunlight from the window shone in through, lighting up his Hokage office. Naruto gave a soft scoff at all the memories that were playing themselves in his mind. Suddenly, a soft knock echoed throughout the room. Naruto opened one of his blue eyes, looking at the door curiously.

"Come in," he said, sitting back up and straightening his back. The door knob turned and clicked open, revealing one his scouting ninja. The ninja poked his head in respectfully, looking at Naruto shyly.

"Sorry to disturb you, sir, but I came to inform you that the final rounds of the Chuunin exam are going to begin soon. You should hurry and get there," said the ninja, fully stepping into the room. Naruto gave a small grin before nodding. He stood up and for that moment, he was the spitting image of his father. He stepped out from behind his desk, heading towards the door.

He suddenly stopped and turned around, grabbing the traditional Hokage hat. He put it on carefully, the wide rims instantly shielding his mass of spiky blonde hair. He nodded to the ninja and stepped passed him, heading to the outdoors to walk over to the Chuunin stadium.

"So, who is competing this year?" asked Naruto, trying to start up a conversation with the scouting ninja.

"Oh, well uh...the most talked about genin is Yasou and Ta Sanin Uchiha. They are brother and sister..." said the ninja, his voice trailing off in the end. Naruto looked at him curiously, raising a slight eyebrow.

"So, the Uchiha have finally started coming back to the exams? Impressive," Naruto said, flashing one of his old playful grins. The ninja looked at him shyly before nodding and giving him a small grin of his own. They walked the rest of the way in silence, Naruto nodding and waving to all the people who were parting the way for him.

They all cheered, cooed, and awed as Naruto stepped towards the stadium. He made the climb along the tall stairs up to the tallest balcony to watch the fighting. The moment he stepped on the last stair, the bright sunlight lit up his vision, causing him to put a hand over his eyes to block out the sun.

Before he could, however, a dark shadow crept over him, blocking the sun's harmful rays. Naruto blinked a few times before seeing the person's face. A huge smirk tugged at his lips as he stared up into Sasuke Uchiha's face.

"Nice to see you again, old friend," said Naruto, stepping up to match Sasuke's eye level. Sasuke looked much older now, indeed. Years of fighting and turmoil were written across his face, but he was still very good looking. His hair was in its usual spiky fashion. His dark eyes looked at Naruto dully before he gave a smirk and turned his head, letting out his usual,

"Hn."

Naruto grinned at Sasuke before taking his seat, Sasuke not seating far away from him. Naruto looked down at the field below him, remembering when he first appeared in this stadium after being chased down by a bunch of bulls. Naruto smirked as he saw someone familiar walk out onto the field below.

The flurry of pink hair instantly caught Sasuke and Naruto's gaze. Sakura looked up at them before turning her head to view all of the audience who had come to see the battling. She took a deep breath before her voice suddenly rang throughout the entire arena,

"Welcome to the final rounds of the Chuunin exams!"

A loud uproar from the audience met Sakura's announcement; people stomping, clapping, and cheering from all corners of the stadium. Sakura grinned for a moment before continuing,

"As you all know, the winner of these final rounds will be crowned a Chuunin! Our first match is between..." Sakura gave a long pause, making the audience lean forwards in their seats. Sakura's green eyes darted left and right before she finally said, "Between Yasou Uchiha and Ta Saini Uchiha!"

The stadium rumbled with the viewers' approval. Sakura looked to her left to see her student Ta Sanin walking out onto the field. Ta Sanin's black hair shone brightly in the sunlight while her gleaming eyes were filled with excitement. Sakura then turned her to the right to see the almost spitting image of Sasuke walking out on the field.

Yasou's hair was jet black and spiky. His Sound Village headband gleamed on his forehead while his armor was wrapped tightly around his body. His underclothes looked similar to Rock Lee's except it was black and looked a tad better on him. Sakura grinned at both of them as they stepped up near her. They didn't even look at her; they only stared at each other.

Here they were. Face to face. It was what they had both been waiting for; their chance to show each other what they were made of. Brother versus sister for the title of Chuunin. The tension hung through the air like a kunai waiting to strike its victim. Yasou looked at his sister Ta Saini through his black bangs, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

"Heh...you ready sis?" Yasou called out to her, his chest out slightly to show his confidence.

"As ready as I'll ever be. Bring it...ya sissy!" Ta Saini taunted, her dark eyes glinting with laughter at her own joke. Oh how that name enraged Yasou to the point of no return. His head lowered slightly as his glare darkened. Ta Saini could sense his rage building and knew what was coming next. A loud gong rang through the stadium, initiating the battle to begin. A huge uproar came from the crowd around them, their voices and shouts echoing around the arena.

Yasou stood still for a moment, continuing to glare at his sister. His eyes began to widen as their once dark form took forth a crimson red. His eyes swirled and glowed brighter as he channeled his chakra to his eyes. There it was...the Sharingan. This was his last charade to win this battle. Obviously he knew his sister wasn't capable of such a thing. No one has ever heard of a female Uchiha ever capable of activating the Sharingan. It was just not possible.

Yasou suddenly lunged toward his sister, his fists flying with a furry of speed unlike anyone has ever seen. But, as if not even thinking twice about it, she blocked every one with ease. She jumped back, rolling her body in a graceful back flip about 10 feet away before landing in a crouching position, a grin plastered on her face.

'He's not so tough! I'll show him!' she thought to herself." You have to do better than that!" she shouted to her brother as she stood up slowly, her hand reaching behind her towards her kunai pouch.

"Oh I plan on it!" said Yasou, running straight for her with dust and debris flying up behind him. Ta Saini reached in her pocket, pulling out 3 throwing stars and shot  
them towards Yasou. They whirled and whizzed through the air, moving in different direction. They struck him square in the chest, causing him to freeze. He stood there for a moment, looking shocked at the sudden impact.

'HA! I got him!' she thought, mentally congratulating herself on her aim.

His body collapsed on the ground face first, lying still and rigid. Ta Saini raised her eyebrow at her fallen brother for a moment, sensing something odd. All of a sudden Yasou turned into a wooden log.

"Substitution no jutsu...that means..." Ta Saini's blood turned cold as she whirled around, only to have Yasou's fist slam into her stomach, instantly knocking the wind out of her. As her body doubled over in pain, Yasou twirled his body around before slamming a butterfly kick into her chin, throwing her yards away from him. He landed skillfully, smirking at Ta Saini as she lay on her back in the dirt.

Yasou took a deep stance, his hands weaving hand signs in a huge blur. With his Sharingan he seemed untouchable.

"Fire Style: Phoenix Fire Flower Jutsu." Yasou's finger touched his mouth and he spit out an incredible flame. He was an expert at the Uchiha fire style techniques which made his jutsus stronger than most. Several fireballs with shuriken shot out towards a struggling  
Ta Saini. She began to move her hands in unrecognizable hand signs. The flame, along with the fireballs, seemed to hit Ta Saini and she was shrouded by flames.

The flames crackled and popped around her. Seeming like the battle was over, Yasou turned on his heel, ready to leave when out of no where the shuriken flew towards Yasou and the flames by Ta Saini diminished.

"Heh...that was my Bouka no Jutsu :Fire Proof Jutsu. A technique that I and Sakura Sempai created to counter your fire style moves. It's completely ineffective to use fire style moves against me." A red form of chakra surrounded her.

'What?! Why didn't my Sharingan pick up her movement? What...what's  
this!?' Yasou thought to himself, his crimson eyes widening at his sister.

Ta Saini's chuckle echoed all around the arena as she opened her eye wider. Her left eye seemed to glow like blood. Yasou took a step back, stunned to see the Sharingan activated in his sister's left eye. It had one pupil in it, making the black with red send shock waves down Yasou's spine.

"Oh ...you also didn't know that I recently discovered the secret kekki genkai, the Sharingan. You may have both but I'm just as formidable with one. So watch out...here I come!"

Ta Saini bolted towards a shocked Yasou. He was out of ideas. That jutsu was supposed to end it all. She was getting closer and closer but he seemed to be locked in his own thoughts. His body was unmovable as his opponent reached her destination.

"Ho Kunai Kuchiyose no Jutsu; Fire Release: Fire Kunai Summoning" Kunai made from fire appeared in her hands. The bouka no jutsu along with this jutsu allowed Ta Saini to not be burned during the summoning of the fire kunai. Ta Saini threw the kunai towards Yasou, and in that instant he seemed to wake out of his trance. He jumped back, dodging all of them. He stumbled back slightly, staring at her feet, trying to read what she was going to do next.

In a flash she disappeared, making his Sharingan eyes dart left and right, trying to sense her chakra. The moment he looked ahead of him, Ta Saini's eyes were directly in front of his, causing a loud gasp to be caught in his throat. He shook his head quickly as she was about to strike him again.

"Taren Ken: Match Fist" Yasou started to throw punches at Ta Saini. This Taijutsu skill made the user throw an incredible amount of punches towards the opponent. Before any punches could hit Ta Saini, she used her Katon: Ho no Tate; Fire Release : Fire Shield.  
This used the anti flame chakra around to make an immense fire based shield around her, capable of blocking all Taijutsu attack. As soon as the first blow hit her chest, Yasou's arm bandages simultaneously began to burn.

"AHHHH...my hands!" Yasou yelled, stumbling back a few steps away from her as he stared down at the burning skin on his hands.. This was her chance. While Yasou was hurt she could pull off her final jutsu. Ta Saini pulled out her scroll from her waist, gripping tightly in her hand.

She bit down on her thumb hard, allowing blood to fall down from the digit as the scroll flew open. She slid her bleeding thumb across the parchment, the blood smearing across the white paper.

"Summoning Jutsu: Fire Salamander!" with a puff of smoke the scroll disappeared and a 3 foot long Salamander named Hinote appeared.

"Ready Hinote? Do your magic!"

The Salamander released its tongue and wrapped around Yasou's body. Yasou struggled against the powerful muscle but to no avail. Hinote gripped him tighter and let a flame soar out her mouth and onto her tongue. It struck Yasou so quickly he didn't even have time to scream in pain.

Ta Saini let it burn for 5 seconds, the flames reflecting off her one crimson eye and her other dark eye. She closed her eyes as the flame finally died away. She heard the puff of smoke as Hinote disappeared. She slowly reopened her eyes, her Sharingan disappearing to reveal her dark eye once again. She stared down at her unconscious brother, parts of his outfit smoking and singed.

Another loud uproar came from the crowd, making Ta Saini look back up at them. They were all chanting her name, screaming and hollering about a wonderful victory. She lowered her gaze back to her brother and slowly took steps towards him. He still remained unconscious, his chest moving up and down slowly as he breathed gently.

She kneeled next to him, toning out the loud crowd in her ears. She sighed and gently pushed back one of his bangs, slowly leaning in and planting a soft kiss on his forehead.

"Sorry brother," she said, standing up and staring down at her brother once again, "but I had to be the one to win this battle." She turned her back to him, slowly stepping towards the exit of the arena. She glared ahead of herself, her dark eyes glinting dangerously.

'I had to do what I had to do, Yasou. I had to show you what it is like to be the weak one in everyone's eyes. This was my only chance to show everyone that I can as strong as Sasuke Uchiha as a genin,' she thought to herself as she stepped through the large stone exit of the arena, 'and I don't plan on ever letting that title down.' She disappeared down the dark corridor, the screams of the crowds still echoing all around the arena.


	2. Chapter 2: The next level not my type

Battle after battled played themselves in front of the audience. Blood was shed, new jutsus discovered, and everyone got their own entertainment for the day. Sakura now stood in the middle of the stadium once again, holding a microphone in her hand. She smiled at the crowd as they cheered for the pink-haired kunoichi. She gave a small nod up to Naruto and Sasuke before bringing the microphone near her lips.

"What a wonderful display of ninja skills we have seen today!" the crowd gave a loud roar with agreement, "And now to bring out the winner of the chunin exams!" Sakura turned her head to the stone corridor to wait for the winner to come out. While trying to hide her grin, Ta Saini made her way towards Sakura. They both exchanged a glance before Ta Saini turned to face the crowd.

The crowd roared as Ta Saini stood in the center of the ring. The sun gleamed over head, making Ta Saini have to turn her head away for a moment from the bright light. She looked to the side and saw Yasou lying on a stretcher while being carried by a couple of medical ninjas. They were taking him to the infirmary. Her gaze rested on him for a moment before she turned away, letting out a small sigh.

"Ok folks, here we have it! The newest chunin to join the Konoha ninja squad: Ta Saini Uchiha!" said Sakura loudly into the microphone, "Do you have anything you would like to say to everyone?" Sakura turned to her student, gesturing the microphone to her. Ta Saini grabbed the microphone and brought it near her lips while staring up at the crowd.

"Yes there is. I'd like to thank Sakura-sempai for being the best sensei in the world," she looked at Sakura admirably, "From helping me learn new jutsus to helping me awake my first Sharingan. I'd also like to thank my father for believing in me. But most of all, I'd like to thank my brother Yasou," said Ta Saini, looking over at her brother as the medical ninjas were doing some quick patches on him. He opened his eyes slowly before turning to look at her, "Without him, this would not be possible. For years I've seen him beat me in everything. He mastered countless jutsus and even awoke his Sharingan at age 11. I used all that as fuel to become the best kunoichi that I could be. And now it all worked out. I love you brother."

Yasou blinked slowly again before a smile passed his lips. He and Ta Saini's eyesight locked for a moment before he blacked out. His head rolled over to his shoulder, the soft smile still on his face. Ta Saini smiled back at Yasou before handing Sakura the microphone. Sakura smiled at her pupil before turning to the crowd once again.

"Well there you have it! Let's give another round of applause for this kunoichi. Remember everyone: the festival will begin tomorrow at 12 pm so don't be late!"

Yasou winced slightly as Tsume gently pressed some ointment on one of his cuts with her pointer finger. Tsume saw Yasou flinch and gave an irritated sigh.

"You can't move every time I put this stuff on!" she said, her eyebrows furrowed in annoyance. Yasou sighed and shrugged, staring off ahead of him. The medical nins had already bandaged him up yesterday, but Tsume felt like his wounds needed to be cleaned everyday.

"Why are we doing this right now, anyway?" asked Yasou suddenly, turning to look at his teammate. Tsume looked at him, the Inuzuka markings on her face making her dark eyes stand out more. There was a short silence before she looked back down at his hand which she was now bandaging.

"Because the festival is starting in an hour, and I know we won't have time to do this between then and later," she said with a matter-a-fact tone in her voice. Yasou looked at her for a moment before turning his head to the right. Standing there was a group of giggling girls. They seemed to be huddled near a food stand, taking quick glances at him before turning away.

He sighed before looking ahead of him again. He suddenly felt Tsume moving. He looked to see her standing up now. He raised an eyebrow at her while she brushed herself off.

"Wait here, I'm going to go get Aarashi," said Tsume, turning her back to Yasou and walking off. Yasou nodded before looking down at his newly bandaged arm. As he looked down, he suddenly felt a shadow creep over him. He looked up to see the group of girls standing near him. One of them had stepped out away from the crowd, looking at Yasou with bright green eyes.

Her face was turning bright red with each passing second that her eyes locked with Yasou's. Yasou blinked before flashing a friendly smile.

"Hey there," he said, giving a small wave to the girls. Every single one of the girls broke out into a fit of giggles, their faces all bright red. The girl that had stepped out returned a smile before asking quickly,

"Are you Yasou Uchiha?"

Yasou blinked for a moment before nodding, resting his elbows on his thighs while he looked at the girls. One of the girls turned to her friend and hissed,

"See? I told you it was him!"

The green eyed-girl looked like she was about the faint as she looked at Yasou.

"We...um...just wanted to...uh...congratulate you on an amazing match yesterday!" stuttered the girl, shuffling her feet and tugging at the hem of her shirt. Yasou smiled and nodded.

"Thanks," he said calmly as if not noticing how his 'fangirls' were acting in front of him. The girls stood in silence in front of Yasou, looking at him with hearts in their eyes. Yasou was becoming a little uncomfortable now. He didn't let it show, he just continued to look at the girls. Finally, one of them spoke,

"Was that girl your girlfriend?"

Yasou raised an eyebrow before chuckling lightly.

"Who? Tsume? No, she's just my teammate," said Yasou, a smirk on his face. All the girls seemed to like the sound of this. They crowded around him even more, all incredibly excited and chirpy.

"Do you have a girlfriend?" a couple of them asked at the same time. Yasou sat up straighter for a moment before shaking his head,

"No, I don't-"

A loud uproar of gleefully giggles broke out from the girls. Yasou's eyes widened as the girls were suddenly near his face, asking a bunch of questions he couldn't even understand.

"Playing around with the girls again, eh Yasou?" asked a voice suddenly. The girls stopped chattering and turned to look at who spoke. More then half of the girls suddenly squealed loudly,

"Aarashi!"

The huge herd of the girls quickly shuffled over to the boy named Aarashi. Aarashi's long blonde hair shone in the sunlight; making the golden rays frame his pretty-boy face perfectly. His blue eyes shone mischievously as the girls surrounded him. The girls around Aarashi began pushing and growling at each other, trying to stand closer to the pretty boy.

"Girls, girls, girls," Aarashi said calmly, a smirk on his face, "There's plenty of me to go around." Aarashi winked at one of the girls. She fanned herself quickly while her blush seemed to spread over her entire body. Aarashi walked passed the girls, heading straight for Yasou. Yasou let out a loud annoyed sigh while standing up slowly.

"Where's Tsume, Aarashi?" Yasou asked, folding his arms over his chest. Aarashi opened his mouth to speak when suddenly a female voice rang out,

"I'm right here!"

Some of the fangirls shouted in pain or anger as Tsume pushed her away through the female crowd. She glared at Aarashi while stepping up next to him.

"Thanks for leaving me behind," said Tsume, her voice dripping in annoyance. She pushed her short brown hair out her face while sending Aarashi a dirty look. Aarashi gave an apologetic smirk ay her before saying,

"Sorry about that Tsume. But you know I couldn't let my girls waiting." Aarashi looked over his shoulder, winking once again. The girls giggled all over again, fanning their faces with their hands. Yasou rubbed the bridge of his nose before looking at his teammates.

"Well, should we get heading over to the festival?" Both Aarashi and Tsume nodded. Yasou began to walk forward when Aarashi pushed passed him slightly.

"Let's go girls!" he said loudly, throwing his arms around two of the nearest girls. They all started chattering and giggling once again with Yasou and Tsume walking behind them. Tsume rolled her eyes and Yasou just sighed as they all made their way to the festival.

Loud bangs and puffs of smoke were echoing in the sky, looking like fireworks without the bright lights. A large crowd stood in front of a huge stand. Sitting on the stand were some of the top Jounin, Sakura, Sasuke, and Hokage Naruto. They were sitting behind a long table that had a banner nailed to it. The banner said, 'CONGRATULATIONS NEW CHUNIN!' in bold black letters.

Yasou moved his way through the crowd, trying to avoid being hit in the face by an elbow or fist. Tsume and Aarashi, who had to quickly leave his fangirls behind, were right behind him the entire time. They made it to the front so they could see everyone perfectly. Yasou stared at Sasuke Uchiha for a moment when suddenly Naruto's voice rang out into the crowd,

"Welcome everyone! Before we get started with the festival, I want to announce a few things."

The crowd hushed quickly, waiting to see what their leader was going to say. Naruto smiled at all of them, his blue eyes gleaming brightly.

"We all know the winner for the chunin exams...Ta Saini Uchiha!" Naruto gestured to the side of the stage. Everyone turned their heads to see the Uchiha girl walking across the stage, smiling and waving at them. They cheered loudly as she walked over to Naruto. Naruto put a hand on her shoulder as he continued to speak.

"And this year, we have a little surprise...Ta Saini was the top winner, but we have more then one going onto chunin rank! We will actually be having several people advancing to their next level today!" A large gasp went through the crowd, followed by happy cheers and claps. Yasou's jaw nearly dropped down to the floor right then. His heart began to race madly as his body grew with tension. Naruto waited for the crowd to quiet down before continuing.

"First off...from Ta Saini Uchiha's team... Kantsu Byakugen!" The crowd cheered loudly as Ta Saini's teammate walked on stage, standing next to her proudly and triumphantly. Naruto clapped with the crowd before turning back to look at them.

"This is the first time, in a long time, that an entire team has made it to chunin in one exam. It is my pleasure to announce that...Team Yasou have all advanced to chunin!"

Yasou could have sworn he felt his heart stop right then and there. The roar from the crowd was deafening. Next to him, Tsume was jumping with joy, hugging both of her teammates before dragging them onto the stage. Yasou stumbled at first before quickly catching himself. He walked proudly next to his teammates. They all gave a polite bow to Naruto before standing side by side, facing the crowd.

Yasou felt like jumping and dancing right then and there, but he held himself back. He suddenly felt someone elbowing him in the ribs. He looked through the corner of his eyes to see his sister smirking out into the crowd.

"Looks like it was worth getting beaten up by me, wasn't it?" she asked, giggling lightly. Yasou smiled before looking back at the crowd. He was ready to take a final bow with the other new chunin when suddenly Naruto spoke again,

"There are 2 final people advancing to chunin. These two have shown skills I have yet to see in battle. I am very pleased to announce that...Keno Ryusaki and...Melina Ryuu are advancing to chunin today!"

The crowd seemed to pause for silence for just a moment when an explosion of cheers rumbled the earth below. Yasou looked to the left to see the young man Keno around his age walk slowly onto the stage. His short brown hair was shielding part of his Konoha headband while his bright brown eyes gleamed with triumph. He had a smirk on his face as he walked over to Naruto. He gave a bow before the Hokage before stepping in line with everyone else.

Yasou blinked at him before suddenly remembering there was another person who was supposed to make chunin. Yasou looked over at the stage stairs and instantly saw her. Melina Ryuu, maybe only a few months younger then Yasou, slowly walked on stage. Her long brown hair swayed side to side in rhythm with her hips. Her dazzling blue eyes sparkled with excitement as she smirked ahead of herself. Her bangs covered parts of her headband as well.

Yasou's eyes followed her the entire time as she walked over to Naruto. She bowed to him before stepping in the line, standing next to Keno. Yasou stared at her for a moment longer before quickly shaking his head, looking back out in front of the crowd.

"Let's get another round of applause for these fine new chunin!" Naruto shouted at the crowd. The crowd quickly obeyed him, stomping, cheering, and whistling. Everyone one of the new chunin gave a deep bow to the crowd. The moment they stood straight again, Naruto shouted,

"Now, let the festival begin!"

Loud whistles went buzzing through the air as the fireworks went off into the bright blue sky.

The streets were filled with colors, noise, and mouth watering smells. Crowds of people were crammed into the streets, chatting, laughing, and goofing off. Tsume suckled happily at the end of a Pocky stick in her mouth, walking in between Yasou and Aarashi. Aarashi was looking around for girls while Yasou just walked calmly with his hands by his sides.

"Hey Yasou," said Aarashi suddenly. Yasou blinked and looked over at the blonde.

"Did you see that Melina girl on stage with us?!" Aarashi asked, a huge, cocky grin plastered on his face. Yasou blinked and nodded.

"Yeah...what about her?"

Aarashi's grin grew even wider as his ego seemed to blow up like a balloon.

"She was really a treat for the eyes, wasn't she? I wouldn't mind keeping her around longer then the other girls I've been with-"

A sharp punch of Tsume's fist made Aarashi shut up. He winced and rubbed his arm gingerly, looking at Tsume irritably. She took her poky stick out of her mouth to glare at Aarashi.

"I swear...you and girls! You act like they are just things for lust!"

Aarashi glared at her but didn't respond, he just kept rubbing his now sore arm. They were silent for a long time after that, going from place to place to look at different stands. Tsume finally just bought a large box of pokey sticks, keeping it in a sack on her hip. Tsume took a large bite out of her treat before suddenly saying to the boys,

"Hey, I'm tired of walking. Let's find a place to sit for a bit away from the crowd."

Yasou and Aarashi turned to look at her and nodded. After walking a little ways away, they found a park area with plenty of trees and a small man-made pond in the middle of it. Tsume sat on a stone bench, sighing happily while stretching out her tense legs. Yasou sat next to her while Aarashi stood near the pond. They all sat in silence again, just enjoying the cool shade the tall trees were providing.

Suddenly, a few voices could be heard coming towards the 3 new chunins. They blinked and looked up to see who was walking their way. There were 3 dark blurs going through the trees before the people came into view. Yasou instantly caught sight of those bright blue eyes. It was Melina again, and this time she had 2 boys with her.

Yasou looked over at the first boy, recognizing him as Keno. The other silver-haired boy he didn't recognize. Yasou glanced over at Aarashi to see the blonde looked ecstatic as Melina and company made their way over to them. It seemed forever until Melina realized the other chunin sitting around the pond.

Melina blinked her pretty eyes while she analyzed them quickly. A smile came across her lips as she stepped closer to them.

"Oh hey! You're the team that made chunin today too," she said calmly with the 2 boys standing behind her, "Congratulations on that, by the way."

Yasou and Tsume both smiled and nodded at that comment while Aarashi looked Melina up and down. Keno looked at Aarashi before stepping closer to Melina. The silver haired boy just looked dully at the 3, his hands deep in his coat pocket.

"Thank you very much. Congratulations to you as well Melina and Keno," said Tsume, trying to sound as polite as possible. She blinked and she looked over at the silver haired boy, "And what's your name?"

The boy blinked slowly while looking at her. She blinked while staring at him, feeling slightly uncomfortable that he was just staring at her. She shuddered slightly and looked over at Melina.

"Oh...sorry about that, he's not much of a talker. His name is Toshiro Seika. All three of us are a team," Melina explained, flashing one of her small smiles. Tsume was relieved that her question was asked. She smiled widely at Melina when suddenly Aarashi's back blocked her view of the brunette.

"My name is Aarashi Yamanako, son of Ino Yamanako. Now, what is a pretty thing like you doing over here?" he asked, giving Melina a wink. Yasou was just waiting for the giggling, blushing girl to come out of Melina. But to his surprise, it never came. Melina raised an eyebrow at Aarashi before stepping passed him to head towards the pond. Aarashi blinked, seemingly as surprised as Yasou that Melina had no reaction to Aarashi's attention to her.

Aarashi turned around to look at Melina as she looked at her reflection in the water.

"Hey...aren't you going to say anything?" said Aarashi stubbornly, feeling a little shaken that Melina barely noticed his presence. Melina looked away from the water's surface and raised an eyebrow.

"What do you want me to say, an introduction of myself? My name is Melina Ryuu, daughter of Ishi Ryuu. The reason why a pretty thing like me is over here? Well...that's my own business, isn't it?" she asked, her hands on her hips. Tsume and Yasou both snorted in laughter. A small smirk appeared on Toshiro's lips while Keno let out a bark like laugh.

Aarashi's mouth hung open a little as he gawked at the brunette. Melina smiled friendly while shrugging her shoulders. Aarashi wasn't about to give up yet though. He stepped over to Melina, his face near hers.

"I see...you just like being a little tease don't you?" he said with a smirk, his blue eyes burning into her own blue eyes. Melina raised an eyebrow for a moment when Yasou suddenly saw a mischievous smirk appearing on her face.

"Oh yes...you're right. You caught me red handed, haven't you?" she asked, suddenly more towards him. Aarashi looked slightly shocked and stepped back slightly. He was always the one in control of the girl, never the other way around! Melina just kept stepping forward, making his back face the pond.

"I am just a little tease, aren't I?" she asked, sending Aarashi a heated gaze while continuing to make him back up towards the pond. To everyone's surprise, she began to make her fingers look like a walking figure over Aarashi's chest. She 'walked' her fingers up his chest slowly and carefully, her eyes locked with his. Aarashi just looked shocked.

"You know what the best thing about being a tease is?" she whispered gently, her fingers walking over near his chin now. He just stared at her with wide eyes, the pond completely behind him. Suddenly, Melina removed her fingers from him and snapped them together right in front of his face. Out of no where, a flame around 4 inches appeared near the tip of his nose.

Aarashi yelped loudly, trying to jump back away from the flame. Instantly, the backs of his knees hit the stone wall that surrounded the pond.

SPLASH!

The water went flying everywhere as he fell into the pond. Tsume and Keno roared with laughter, but Yasou was busy staring at the flame that still remained at the tip of her fingers. Aarashi's blonde hair was draped over his eyes, his clothes sticking to him tightly. He spit out water before looking up at Melina, his eyes on the flame as well. Melina looked down at him, a playful smirk on her face.

"The best thing about being a tease is...I can make a fool out of you," continued Melina. Yasou and Aarashi remained staring at her while Tsume and Keno were still laughing hysterically.

"Sorry buddy, but..." she released her fingers and the flame disappeared, "You're not my type..." She smirked again before turning back to her comrades.

"Come on boys, let's go," she said, walking towards them. She turned to look at Tsume and gave a small nod of a goodbye. Then, for the first time, she looked at Yasou. Both of their eyes locked for what seemed forever. Yasou just stared at her while she looked at him curiously. Finally she smiled, gave him a nod, and walked away with her team behind the trees.


End file.
